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Break free for the sake of your business

Kirsten Hawke

Innovation just doesn’t happen when you’re busy being busy.There’s a lot to be gained by going for a walk around the block, picking up a fishing rod or doing absolutely nothing to gain inspiration for your business.

When you step away from your work-day routine you can see
how others do things and contemplate if your business does things better or
worse than others.

This doesn’t necessarily mean spying on your opposition but
instead, look at things other companies do that you could apply to your
business.

This could reveal the ideal point-of-difference your looking
for to make your enterprise stand out in the crowd.

The team at BUSINESS buddy
has used the Virgin Pulse Global Challenge
to hit the refresh button and we’ve discovered the following tips to help you
get some buzz back into your business.

1.Take a big break

It sounds obvious but for many people,
getting away from work can appear impossible.

If you’re the boss, you may think the ship
will sink while you’re not at the helm but this is unlikely if you have
developed good systems that allow others to manage without you. Check our
previous blog You
can have a holiday and own a business, too.

For a big break, get planning and include
something you’ve never done before. Maybe climb a mountain, visit a famous art
gallery or volunteer for a community project. During that time focus on the
task and you never know what inspiration will pop into your brain.

Leave work at work.

Bonus
tip: If you give your employees some space, they will learn more about the
business and take greater ownership of workplace success.

2.Take a mini break

It may seem a bit silly but just going for
a walk around the block during your day can be the perfect mini break to help
you come up with a new idea or solution to a tricky problem.

Eat your lunch away from your workplace and
avoid spending that time staring at a screen.

Resting your headspace is a chance to
recharge every single day and if you work in a sedentary job, a walk will be
good for your body as well as your mind.

Bonus
tip: Bosses must lead by example. If they never take a breather they set a
stressful workplace culture, which ultimately reduces team productivity.

3.Innovations can be small

When you take a break, the little things
that make you happy could be introduced to your business. That traditional
chocolate on the hotel pillow adds a small amount of value to the experience
for guests. What could be your chocolate on the pillow that adds value for your
clients?

As we’ve become immersed in technology,
your company may stand out by creating something old school. Maybe a digital
product manual could be in a hardcopy comic strip format.

Or, maybe a smartphone could have a fake
crayon as a stylus touch pen.

Bonus
tip: Observing the world around you is inspiring. Take time to look closely
at the things that amaze you and apply them to your business.

4.Service that matters

Think about how you are treated by others
during a break and consider what your clients experience when they deal with
your company.

If you regularly escape to a favourite café,
what is it about that place that has won your loyalty? Do the staff treat you
just right? Do you enjoy the surroundings? Is it in a convenient location? Is
the coffee better than anywhere else? Is the food better than anywhere else? Is
the price right? Is the service fast or slow and relaxed?

During that moment, consider what service
you can introduce to your business – but only if it really matters to your
clients. You only need to read the reviews on websites such as TripAdvisor
to know that what is important for one person, is irrelevant for another.

Bonus
tip: To find out what is important to your clients you can do a short and
sweet online survey with SurveyMonkey. Just make sure you
ask the right questions.

5.Bring back some fun

Who doesn’t want more fun in their life?

When you return to work – consider how that
fun holiday stuff could be incorporated into your business.

How about involving the team in a sports
event, a cooking class or get them to build something like a bike for a local
charity. These are all things people do on holiday and they make a great change
from staff socials that revolve around drinking.

It could be as simple as encouraging staff
to bring their well-behaved dog to work that makes everyone’s workday better.

Bonus
tip: Give your team ownership of a fun event and let them decide the best
timing, activity and their level of involvement.

Taking a break from business is a great way to stay fresh
and reflect upon what makes you get out of bed every morning.

And, you never know – it could be the time when you daydream
up the next successful thingamabob that makes you wealthy enough that you can
take a permanent break.

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Innovation just doesn’t happen when you’re busy being busy.There’s a lot to be gained by going for a walk around the block, picking up a fishing rod or doing absolutely nothing to gain inspiration for your business.

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